Queensland All Abilities Playground Project

• About the project
• Playground site locations
  • Ayr
  • Blackwater
  • Broadbeach
  • Capalaba
  • Edmonton
  • Gympie
  • Landsborough
  • Logan Central
  • Mackay
  • Mossman
  • Mount Isa
  • New Mapoon
  • Normanton
  • Pialba
  • Texas
  • Thuringowa Central
  • Yeppoon
• Design Framework
• Pioneer Park
  • Physical development
  • Sensory
  • Learning
  • Facilities
  • Accessibility
• Resources
• Contacts

Gympie All Abilities Playground

Council:

Gympie Regional Council

Playground location:

Lake Alford Park, Bruce Highway, Gympie

Size:

2016m²

Council contact:

Strategic Planning Officer Ric Halse on (07) 5481 0644 or Ric.Halse@gympie.qld.gov.au

Site background

Playground site: Lake Alford Park

Lake Alford Park, colloquially known as the Duck Ponds, has been established for over 30 years and features reminders of Gympie's gold mining traditions, including the Gympie Gold Mining Historical Museum.

The park's central feature is a large artificial lake system surrounded by an extensive network of walking paths.

Council plans to transform the park into a regional destination for both residents and tourists, which will also be used to host major community events.

With no playgrounds of its kind currently in the region, there is strong community support for an all abilities play space in Gympie.

Planning and design

Gympie youth contribute to the playground's planning and design in innovative ways

A comprehensive participation strategy was developed as part of the initial planning phase of the project. The strategy was designed to identify the needs of all children, their families and the broader community.

A range of activities were undertaken as part of the planning phase, including:

• a parent and grandparent survey and questionnaire
• activity packs completed by local school children and children attending vacation care, aged from 4 to 14
• an open forum with local state school students and members of the Gympie Regional Youth Council
• stakeholder and community workshops attended by local councillors, Queensland Cancer Council, Gympie Lions Club, Gympie Special School, Gympie Family Day Care, Disability Services Queensland, Cooloola Access Advisory Group, Gympie Breastfeeding Association and local community members
• one-to-one consultation with park users.

A working group, consisting of key local stakeholder groups, was also established to assist council in the distribution of consultation tools.

Design consultants were then engaged to further develop the play space, taking into account the community's ideas and visions, and transforming them into conceptual design plans.

Plans are currently in the detailed design stage.

For more information, contact Gympie Regional Council.

It is important that the children who use an all abilities playground get to have fun and learn when playing outdoors with their families" — Gympie mother

Creation - Art workshops

Image Gallery: Access Advisory Committee art workshop

A series of art workshops are being held across the region from September to November 2009 to create public art for the playground.

Members of the Access Advisory Committee (Gympie region) are among the many community members taking part, creating clay tiles under the direction of workshop coordinator Stephaine Outridge-Field and artist mentor Sam Keane.

The tiles will form part of the group's mosaic installation, aptly-themed 'Community' and 'People coming together'.

The installation is one of 20 being created for the new play space by local schools and community groups across the region.

As Stephaine explained: "The unique tile artworks will be dotted purposefully throughout the space, helping to tell the stories of each group and this community, and creating real sense of discovery at the same time".

Made possible by a $50,000 grant from Arts Queensland's art+place public art fund, the tile artworks will be set into pathways, bench seating and other suitable surfacing.

Last reviewed: 11 November 2009